Find your Niche

Here's the problem I had starting with ventriloquism, finding my niche. Now I know at the age of 12, when I first started performing, I wasn't much of a writer. Here's what I did, took some material from Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism and a couple routines from a Flip Wilson album. Combined them, and performed at adult gatherings.

When I became a teen, I ordered a figure from Alan Semok and began performing, again at adult gatherings, using bits and pieces from Alex Housten's album (with his permission). Now here's the thing, first of all, I wasn't even concentrating on writing my own material and second, I was performing Alex's material at CHURCH FUNCTION! Wow did I have a long way to go to find my niche.

As I got older I tried the Comedy Clubs and actually took 1st place in a competition. Didn't really care for the environment and didn't go back. Not until I was in my 30's did I start performing family shows at churches, my niche. Now I didn't even think about doing this and fell upon it as an accident. More on that story tomorrow. Here's the point to all this rambling and history, not everyone is cut out to be a comedy club entertainer, a church entertainer or a kids show entertainer. Find your niche, try everything and see what works for you.

Take Advice

There is one thing about people. Some you really like and others you don't care for all that much. It's just human nature to not like some people. The way they look, act or remind you of someone else that was not very nice to you. One thing I've found out about the people that I don't like and that is this, I don't want to hear anything about what they have to say.

Now it's easy in yahoo groups and emails to get an attitude about one of the people who post on these groups. Once you get this opinion of them, you automatically delete any email from them before reading it. Let's face it, you don't want to hear their advice on anything. How do I know this? I have a camera in you house and have watched you do it. No, really, I've done it myself. Then I realized, even if I don't like them maybe I can learn something from them. Everyone is knowledgeable about something. Why should I deny myself that knowledge just because I don't like the person?

And so I've been more cautious, both online and in person, to make sure I listen to what everyone has to say. If you do the same I think you will notice you may even start liking that person a little more than you already do. Take it from me, Mr. Close Minded, it's a growing process and one worth practicing!

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice

Well if there is one thing that makes true professionals, I mean the best of the best, you know the vents I'm talking about. In the 60's and 70's it was Paul Winchell, Shari Lewis and Jimmy Nelson. Today it's Jeff Dunham, Ronn Lucas and Jay Johnson. Anyway, what makes them better than any of us average vents? One word, PRACTICE.

Ask any of the vents that you consider to be flawless and they will tell you that they practice. I don't mean once on a Thursday or a half an hour right before the show. They practice everyday, and I bet if you ask them, they practice the hard stuff.

I remember when I used to play trumpet my band director once told me, "The problem is you don't practice the hard things. You enjoy playing the things you can so much that when you get to the hard parts you skip over them and go to the next thing that is easy to play." And that was so true. What about you, are you great at manipulation and so that's all you work on? Maybe you the king of distant voice so you thrill everyone with that.

Practice the hard things, the things you hate to do. The things you think you can get by without, and this will make you another Paul Winchell or Shari Lewis. Be committed to the art, and not just the things that are easy. Make your figure come alive with new manipulation, get those B's and M's down to perfection. And most of all, enjoy your time with your figure. Lifes to short, practice what you enjoy.

Ventriloquist Conventions

Is it True??

Can it be true, Mark Wade is lecturing at Vegas and Valentine Vox is lecturing at VentHaven? Yes it is and thank God that these 2 greats in the ventriloquist world can do what many have thought was impossible, join together 2 of the biggest vent conventions and let everyone realize that there is no competition, just great fun and learning.

It's not an East vs. West, Vegas vs. Kentucky it's just 2 conventions with lots of great fellowship, sharing and fun. For those of you who have had the chance to attend both I'm sure you have a lot of great stories to tell from each. I have not had the opportunity to attend both conventions but I hope, some day, I will.

Let's all put our hands together for Mark and Valentine for the great effort they put forth to make sure that this happens.

God Bless you both!!

Vegas Convention
VentHaven Convention